KIM University on Friday celebrated the graduation of hundreds of students in bachelor’s and masters’ degrees from various disciplines in an event that was held at the school campus along the Kigali-Rwamagana road.

The campus premises were dotted gowns of graduates, their families, and friends at the university’s 8th graduation.

The outgoing cohort counts 409 graduates of whom over 60 percent are females.

Some of the graduates were awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

The undergraduates completed their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) under different faculties including accounting, finance and banking, as well as procurement and logistics.

In the same group, some 13 Certified Accounting Technicians (CATs) were awarded certificates after completing the professional course on the sidelines of their bachelor’s.

Best performers were also acknowledged with certificates of excellence.

"It takes a great level of commitment and appreciation of the value of education and a clear sense of direction for you, students to reach this far,” noted the university’s acting vice-chancellor Jean-Baptiste Mugabo in his remarks, and urged the graduates to keep their heads high.

"Modern education is not about reaching a goal or a destination. It’s about a road of travel, the road of life and constant learning.”

In reference to the dynamic style of the modern world, the graduates were constantly reminded by different academics in their remarks to humbly hold the achieved momentum and wisely thirst for further successes.

Graduates ready to meet market demands

The fresh degree holders expressed their zeal to supply the market with what it needs.

"With what I learned here, I am beyond a graduate going around applying for jobs,” said Samuel Mwizerwa who graduated in accounting and was bestowed an excellence certificate. "I am able to run a job but my priority is to venture into self-employment that gives back to my community.”

Mellon Atwaire is an accountant, she has completed the CAT professional course at KIM in partnership with ICPAR - Institute of Certified Public Accountants Rwanda. She believes the course is an added value to a degree-fledged accountant.

"When it comes to market competition, this certificate is an added advantage because it might get me automatically shortlisted for a job.”

For Emmanuel Byamungu who was bestowed with a master’s degree, the period that preceded graduation was an "extremely patient journey”, but said he draws satisfaction from the prospect of "building a life upon this foundation”.

He even boasts of having published research papers in internationally-recognized academic journals, with the university’s support.

"The skills and experience we gained here will help us to make differences in working set-ups” concluded Byamungu.

KIM University is a decade-plus-old degree-awarding institution.

In 2016, it rebranded from Kigali Institute of Management (KIM) to KIM University.